The things you take for granted, someone else is praying for.

1. You woke up. This seems too simple and goes without thinking, because we do it every day. If you are reading this, then you are not one of the 89,000 people that didn’t get the chance to wake up this morning. 89,000 people die every single day in their sleep. I pray that you get the chance to wake up again tomorrow morning and be thankful you are not added to this statistic.
2. You have internet access. If you are reading this, then you are able to do so via the internet. How many times a day or week do we complain that our wifi is “slow” or “not working”. We are so privileged to even say that. Thinking to myself, I feel so shallow to even complain that it took 15 seconds versus my usual 5 seconds for a website to load on my phone or computer.
3. You have food and water. How many times do we catch ourselves complaining that the food we ordered at a restaurant is taking too long? “I’m going to die from starvation.” That is how we feel when we have to wait for our food, but 5,000 people every single day actually do die from starvation. Could you imagine going without food for so long that you actually die? I cannot. I know how thankful I am that even if I sense my stomach is going to growl from hunger, I am able to have food within reach. For a better perspective, 75% of those 5,000 are children.
4. You don’t live in a third world country. This seems like a no brainer to some, but some are probably reading that statement wondering why that even matters. One person dies in Africa every three seconds. How many people do you think died while you read this sentence?
5. You have shoes. 300 million people are not able to afford shoes. Some people have a different pair of shoes to go with every outfit they wear. Some people have two pairs of shoes that they use interchangeably. But 300 million people in this world are walking barefoot.
6. There isn’t a hurricane, tornado, typhoon, or some natural disaster outside your door. Between 1994 and 2013, EM-DAT recorded 6,873 natural disasters worldwide, which claimed 1.35 million lives or almost 68,000 lives on average each year.
7. You drove home safe. About 3,000 people a year die in car accidents. Those 3,000 people were expected to come home that day, just like every other day, but did not get the chance. The next time you are in a car, think twice before you check that text on your phone or send a snapchat while driving. That text or snapchat can wait, but imagine your family waiting for you to come home, but you never do.
8. You have a place to call “home”. On a single night in January 2015, 564,708 people were experiencing homelessness, meaning they were sleeping outside, in an emergency shelter, or transitional housing program. I am a homebody. I would rather be home than go out. I feel safe, comfortable, and at peace when I am home. I cannot imagine not having a place to go to every night. It goes unnoticed to just say, “I’m going home.”
9. You have a family. My family drives me crazy the majority of the time, but I would not have it any other way. I cannot imagine waking up and not having them there. I love being woken up in the morning due to my mom talking too loud on the phone, my brothers bickering about the game from the night before, or my dad having the news on the television way too loud. The majority of people would be annoyed and wished they had their own space or that their family would just be quiet, but not me. Hearing them every morning is my reassurance that they are there; physically there.
10. Someone somewhere loves you. So no matter what happens in the day ahead, you will get through it with the support of people who care. There is a lot that goes right on a daily basis. I am choosing to start my days embracing the good in the present, instead of trying to predict and control the bad in the future. Live each day like it is your last and be thankful for who and what you have.